Pharmaceutical syrup formulation or suspension

ABSTRACT

A stable pharmaceutical formulation or suspension has a pharmaceutical active agent, agave, and a dilutant. The formulation or suspension has viscosity suitable for drinking.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to aqueous suspensions and formulations. Thisapplication also relates to a pharmaceutical suspension composed ofpharmaceutical active agents, suspension agents, sweetening agents andflavoring agents.

BACKGROUND

Children and older persons can have problems swallowing tablets orcapsules. In these situations, it is desirable to provide drugs eitherin a chewable solid form or in a liquid form/syrup. It is not anuncommon practice for a parent to prefer giving the sick children,usually those below the age of 12, syrup instead of tablets. Syrups aresuited for children. The dose is in volumes and often can be tailored tothe child's body weight. Many syrups can be flavored, which improvesintake and compliance by children.

One problem is that liquids containing analgesic, antihistamine, anddiuretic active pharmaceutical agents taste terrible and pharmaceuticalchemists have turned to unnatural and artificial ingredients to mask thetaste. No liquid medium, primarily of natural ingredients, containingthis combination of active agents are available.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved pharmaceutical suspensionor syrup formulation.

SUMMARY

One aspect includes a stable, pharmaceutical syrup formulation orsuspension for oral administration having one or more pharmaceuticalactive agents, agave syrup, and a dilutant. The syrup formulation canhave a viscosity of less than 1500 centipoise at 22 degrees.

Another aspect includes a stable, pharmaceutical syrup formulation orsuspension for oral administration having a pharmaceutical active agent,agave syrup, acidic preservative, a sweetening agent, a flavoring agent,and a dilutant. The syrup formulation can have a viscosity of less than1500 centipoise at about 22 degrees.

Another aspect includes a pharmaceutical suspension that can enhance thetaste masking of unpalatable pharmaceutical active agents with generallynatural ingredients. One embodiment includes the use of clean inactiveingredients that are gluten-free, non-GMO, and certified vegan. Otherembodiments may exclude unnatural ingredients such as aspartame,carbomer, EDTA, gelatin, milk, parabens, polyethylene glycol, titaniumdioxide, and other unnatural ingredients.

Another aspect includes pharmaceutical suspensions made with the sameactive ingredients needed for a treatment, but without the artificialnot needed.

Another aspect includes a suspension that can be used as a formulationof pharmaceutical suspension. The following pharmaceutical active agentsare suitable for use with the suspension including but not limited toacetaminophen, ibuprofen, famotidine, pseudoephedrine, hydrochloride,chlorpheniramine maleate, dextromethorphan hydrobromide, guaifenesin,diphenhydramine hydrochloride, loperamide hydrochloride, and simethiconeand suitable combinations thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application provides a pharmaceutical suspension or syrupformulation that can be used with various active pharmaceutical agents.In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical syrup formulation for oraladministration includes one or more pharmaceutical active agents, agavesyrup, and a dilutant. A pharmaceutical syrup formulation for oraladministration can also include an acidic preservative, a sweeteningagent, and a flavoring or masking agent. The term “agave syrup” isreferred to as a processed juice obtained from the agave sp. plant (e.g.also referred to as processed sap or processed aguamiel). The term“syrup” means a formulation that has a flow without applied pressuresand is sticky or tacky to the touch.

The syrup can have a viscosity of the type used with pharmaceuticalsuspensions or syrup formulations. The syrup can have a viscosity ofbetween about 200 and 3500 centipoise at about 2.5 rpm to about 30 rpmas determined by a Brookfield Viscometer at about 22 degrees. Further,the syrup can have a viscosity of between about 350 and about 1500centipoise. For example, the syrup formulation can a viscosity of about1500 centipoise at about 22 degrees. For example, the syrup formulationhas a viscosity of about 1000 centipoise at about 22 degrees. Forexample, the syrup formulation has a viscosity of about 600 centipoiseat about 22 degrees. In many examples, the viscosity of the syrup can beless than 2000 centipoise, less than 1750 centipoise, less than 1500centipoise, less than 1000 centipoise, less than 750 centipoise, lessthan 600 centipoise, or less than 500 centipoise.

In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationcan be used to administer pharmaceutical active agents with generallynatural ingredients. For example, a pharmaceutical suspension caninclude the use of clean inactive ingredients that are gluten-free,non-GMO, and certified vegan. Other embodiments may exclude ingredientssuch as aspartame, carbomer, EDTA, gelatin, milk, parabens, polyethyleneglycol, titanium dioxide, and other unnatural ingredients. Certainembodiments can be designed to provide pharmaceutical suspensions madewith the same active ingredients needed for a treatment, but without theartificial ingredients.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationincludes between 0.01 to 4 w/w % of one or more active pharmaceuticalagents, 0.01 and 1% w/w % of an acidic preservative, 0.05 to 5 w/w % ofa sweetening agent or flavoring agent, 50% to 98% agave syrup, andwater. In one example, the one or more active pharmaceutical agents canbe one of the following active agents: dextromethorphan hydrobromide,guaifenesin, or acetaminophen.

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical suspension includes between 0.5 to 2w/w % of one or more active pharmaceutical agents, 65% to 98% agavesyrup, and water.

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical suspension includes between 0.5 to 2w/w % of one or more active pharmaceutical agents, 0.5 and 2% w/w % ofan acidic preservative, 1 to 3 w/w % of a sweetening agent or flavoringagent, 75% to 95% agave syrup, and water.

The amount of water or dilatant in the suspension may be reduced tooptimize the formulation. The amount of the pharmaceutical active agentdissolved in the suspension can be reduced. This reduction in amountdissolved reduces the need for taste masking. Since, the pharmaceuticalactive agent remains in the solid (undissolved) form, the pharmaceuticalis less likely to be tasted while in the mouth.

The pH of the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulation can rangefrom about 4 to about 10. In certain examples, the pH of the suspensioncan be in the range from 4 to 8. The suspension can be buffered tomaintain the pH of the suspension in the desired pH range. Suitablebuffers that are not chemically reactive with the other ingredients maybe present in the suspension in amounts enough to provide the desireddegree of pH buffering. The buffers can range from 0.01 to 1 gram per100 mL of the suspension. In one example, the acidic preservative can beadjusted to keep the pH of the suspension at a desired level.

In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationmay include about 0.1 to 5 grams of a pharmaceutical active agent per100 mL of suspension. The amount of the pharmaceutical active agent inthe suspension should be enough to provide a therapeutic amount of thepharmaceutical active agent and a convenient dosage unit. Up to about0.01 to 2 grams pharmaceutical active per 100 mL may be readily includedin the suspension system. However, this may vary depending on thepharmaceutical active agent and amounts are known to those with ordinaryskill in the art or are readily available or can be determined usingpharmaceutical science.

The water added to the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationshould be kept at a minimum, to facilitate masking the bitter taste ofacetaminophen. The acetaminophen suspension should contain in the rangefrom about 0.1 to 2 grams of water per 100 ml of suspension.

The suspension can be used as a formulation of a pharmaceuticalsuspension. The following pharmaceutical active agents are suitable foruse with the inventive suspension including but not limited toacetaminophen, ibuprofen, famotidine, pseudoephedrine, hydrochloride,chlorpheniramine maleate, dextromethorphan hydrobromide, guaifenesin,diphenhydramine hydrochloride, loperamide hydrochloride, and simethiconeand suitable combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the pharmaceuticalactive agents are water soluble or hydrophilic.

Therapeutic combinations of pharmaceutical active agents can includecombinations of acetaminophen, ibuprofen or famotidine withpseudoephedrine hydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate, astemizole,terfenadine, dextromethorphan hydrobromide, guaifenesin ordiphenbydramine for formulations of cold or sinus medication.Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and famotidine could also be combined withantacids to control the gastric irritation caused by these analgesics.

In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationcan effectively mask the bitter taste of pharmaceuticals contained inthe suspension. Masking the flavor of bitter pharmaceuticals may beaccomplished by using flavoring agents to overpower the bitter flavor ofthe pharmaceutical. The bitter flavor also can be minimized by limitingthe amount of water present in the suspension. Suitable sweeteningagents include but are not limited to sugars such as monosaccharides,disaccharides and polysaccharides. Examples of suitable sugars includebut are not limited to xylose, ribose, glucose, mannose, fructose,dextrose, sucrose, and maltose, and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol,xylitol, mannitol, glycerin and combination thereof. Presently preferredas a sugar sweetener is fructose provided as an aqueous solution. Theamount of sugar sweetener used in the suspension will vary depending onthe degree of sweetening desired for the suspension. Generally, theamount of sugar sweetener will be in the range of from about 0 grams toabout 1 gram of sugar sweetener per 100 mL of the suspension.

Flavoring agents also may be added to the pharmaceutical suspensions orsyrup formulations to improve the palatability of the suspension.Examples of suitable flavoring agents include natural and artificialflavors such as mints (i.e., peppermint, etc.,), menthol, cinnamon,vanilla, artificial vanilla, chocolate, artificial chocolate, bothnatural and artificial fruit flavors (i.e., cherry, grape, orange,strawberry, etc.,) and combinations of two or more thereof. Flavoringagents are generally provided as a minor component of the suspension inamounts effective to provide a palatable flavor to the suspension.However, flavoring agents are generally present in the suspension inamounts in the range of from about 0 grams to about 5 grams per 100 mLof the suspension.

Optimum masking of the taste of the pharmaceutical active agents in thepharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulation can be achieved bylimiting the amount of water in the suspension. As a minimum, the amountof water present in the suspension may be limited to that amountnecessary to hydrate the agave syrup. The minimum amount of water alsomust provide the suspension with enough aqueous base to impart thedesired degree of viscosity. For example, if agave syrup is used in thesuspension as a sweetener, the total amount of water contained in thesuspension be in the range of about 5 to 20 grams per 100 mL ofsuspension. Accordingly, if a bitter or unpalatable pharmaceuticalactive is present in the suspension, the amount of water in all theingredients should be kept to a minimum.

Wetting agents also may be employed in the inventive suspension tofacilitate the dispersion of hydrophobic pharmaceutical active agents.The concentration of wetting agents in the suspension should be selectedto achieve optimum dispersion of the pharmaceutical active within thesuspension with the lowest feasible concentration of wetting agent. Itshould be appreciated that an excess concentration of wetting agent maycause the suspension to flocculate. Those skilled in the art are wellversed in suitable empirical methods to determine the appropriatewetting agents and concentrations to achieve optimum dispersion andavoid flocculation.

Coloring agents, while not generally used and are generally notpreferred, can be incorporated in the suspension to provide an appealingcolor to the suspension. The coloring agents should be selected to avoidchemical incompatibilities with the other ingredients in the suspension.Suitable coloring agents for use in pharmaceutical suspensions are wellknown to those skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical suspension or syrup formulationcan be prepared by mixing one or more active agents with agave and thenadding water to achieve a desired consistence. One method of making apharmaceutical syrup formulation for oral administration can includeadding an amount of agave into a vessel; warming the amount of the agavein the vessel; adding an amount of one or more pharmaceutical agents tothe warmed agave in the vessel; stirring the contents of the vesseluntil the contents are mixed; adding diluent through the process toachieve a desired viscosity of less than, e.g., 1500 centipoise, 1000centipoise, 600 centipoise, or 400 centipoise.

While the invention has been described in connection with specificembodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodifications and this application is intended to cover any variations,uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice within theart to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to theessential features hereinbefore set forth, and as follows in the scopeof the appended claims.

EXAMPLES

The invention will now be illustrated by examples. The examples are notintended to be limiting of the scope of the present invention but readin conjunction with the detailed and general description above, providefurther understanding of the present invention and an outline of apreferred process for preparing the compositions of the invention.

Example 1 Acetaminophen Suspension

Ingredient Function Amount (w/w %) Pharmaceutical Active Treatment 1.8Agent (e.g., Acetaminophen) Agave syrup Base 92 Citrus acid extractPreservative 0.20 Masking Agent/Blueberry Flavoring 0.60 Water DiluentRemaining

In Example 1, the citrus acid extract and masking agent are optional andare not needed for a suitable or usable formulation.

Example 2 Preparation of Suspension

100 mg of active agent can be added to 100 mL of agave (heated). Themixture is stirred, and water can is added to achieve a desiredconsistency. Other agents such as sweetening agent and flavoring agentcan be added to the suspension.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A pharmaceutical syrup formulation for oraladministration comprising: (a) acetaminophen, (b) agave syrup, and (c) adiluent, wherein the syrup formulation has a viscosity of less than 1500centipoise at about 22 degrees; wherein the acetaminophen is suspendedin the syrup; and wherein the syrup is palatable.
 2. The pharmaceuticalsyrup formulation of claim 1, wherein the syrup formulation has aviscosity of less than 1000 centipoise at about 22 degrees.
 3. Thepharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 1, wherein the syrupformulation has a viscosity of less than 750 centipoise at about 22degrees.
 4. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 1, wherein thesyrup formulation has a viscosity of less than 600 centipoise at about22 degrees.
 5. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 1, wherein0.01 to 2 grams of acetaminophen is suspended per 100 mL of the syrup.6. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 1, wherein 0.01 to 1grams of acetaminophen is suspended per 100 mL of the syrup.
 7. A stablepharmaceutical syrup formulation for oral administration comprising: (a)acetaminophen; (b) agave syrup; (c) acidic preservative; (d) a flavoringagent, and (e) a diluent, wherein the syrup formulation has a viscosityof less than 1500 centipoise at about 22 degrees, and wherein theacetaminophen is suspended in the syrup.
 8. The pharmaceutical syrupformulation of claim 7, wherein the acetaminophen is between 0.01 to 2%of the formulation by weight.
 9. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation ofclaim 7, wherein the diluent is about 5% of the formulation by weight.10. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 7, wherein the agavesyrup is less than 98% of the formulation by weight.
 11. Thepharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 7, wherein the agave syrup isless than 95% of the formulation by weight.
 12. The pharmaceutical syrupformulation of claim 7, wherein the diluent is water.
 13. Thepharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 7, wherein the agave syrup isabout 95% of the formulation by weight.
 14. The pharmaceutical syrupformulation of claim 13, wherein the acidic preservative comprisescitric acid.
 15. The pharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 7,wherein the composition is a medicinal preparation formulated as asyrup; and wherein the composition has a viscosity from about 1500centipoise to about 400 centipoise at about 22 degrees.
 16. Thepharmaceutical syrup formulation of claim 7, wherein the formulation isorally administered for veterinary and human use.
 17. The pharmaceuticalsyrup formulation of claim 7, wherein the flavoring agent is abitter-taste-blocking ingredient.
 18. A stable, palatable pharmaceuticalsyrup formulation for oral administration consisting essentially of: (a)a therapeutically effective amount of acetaminophen; (b) agave syrup;(c) acidic preservative; (d) a flavoring agent, and (e) a diluent,wherein the syrup formulation has a viscosity of less than 1500centipoise at about 22 degrees and the acetaminophen is suspended in thesyrup.
 19. The formulation of claim 18, wherein the pharmaceutical syrupformulation has a viscosity of less than 1000 centipoise at about 22degrees.
 20. The formulation of claim 18, wherein the pharmaceuticalsyrup formulation has a viscosity of less than 1500 centipoise at about22 degrees.
 21. The formulation of claim 18, wherein the pharmaceuticalsyrup formulation has a viscosity of less than 1500 centipoise at about22 degrees.
 22. The formulation of claim 18, wherein the agave syrup isless than 98% of the formulation by weight.
 23. The formulation of claim18, wherein the agave syrup is less than 95% of the formulation byweight.
 24. The formulation of claim 18, wherein the agave syrup isabout 95% of the formulation by weight.